Ski safety binding

ABSTRACT

A ski safety binding for connection to a ski board with heel holding means for clamping the heel of a ski boot, in which magnetic means supported by base plate means cooperate with a soft iron plate which has connected thereto heel grasping means comprising tongue means for supporting a ski boot from below and also comprising a clamping member for grasping a ski boot heel from behind and holding the same in position.

United States Patent 91 [111 3,790,185 Sommer 5] Feb. 5, 1974 SKI SAFETYBINDING 3,149,854 9/1964 Marker 2550/! 1.35 T R 2 .35 T [751 InventonReinhold Sommer, Germany 3:253:52 311333 551220,, 2335 35 T [73]Assignee: Hans Muller, Kettwig, Germany; a

part interest Primary Examiner-Robert R. Song [22] Flledi May 1! 1972Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter Becker [21] Appl. No.: 249,251

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 67,080, Aug. 26,1970, Pat. No. [57] ABSTRACT A ski safety binding for connection to aski board with Forelgn Application Priority Data heel holding means forclamping the heel of a ski Aug. 27, 1969 Germany P 19 43 518.8 boot, inwhich magnetic means supported by base plate means cooperate with a softiron plate which has [52] US. Cl 280/1 1.35 T connected thereto heelgrasping means comprising [51] Int. Cl. A63c 9/00 tongue means forsupporting a ski boot from below [58] Field of Search 280/1 1.35 T andalso comprising a clamping member for grasping a ski boot heel frombehind and holding the same in po- [56] References Cited sition.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,3l7,217 5/1967 Poiger 280/1 1.35 T 5 Claims, 6Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 51974 SHEET 1 OF 2 SKI SAFETY BINDING Thisis a division of co-pending Ser. No. 67,080- Sommer filed Aug. 26, I970,now U. S. Pat. No. 3,687,47l-Sommer issued Aug. 29, 1972.

The present invention relates to a ski safety binding in which holdingmeans comprising a magnet and a soft iron plate cooperating therewithare arranged within the region of the heel while mechanical holdingmeans are provided within the region of the tip of the ski boot.

It is an object of the present invention to improve a ski safetybindingof theabove mentioned type.

With ski safety bindings of the above mentioned type it may happen thata tilting momentacts upon themagnet or the soft iron plate so thatbetween the magnet and the soft iron plate a wedge-shaped air gap willform. Furthermore, with the magnetic holding means in open position,foreign bodies may deposit upon the connecting surface which foreignbodies, if not carefully removed, will likewise form an air gap.Theconnecting force of the magnet will, however, be fully effectiveonly. when the contacting surfaces of the magnet and the soft iron plateengage each other without an air gap therebetween.

The abovementioned object and other objects and advantages oftheinvention will appear more clearly from the following specificationin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a longitudinal section through magnetic heel holdingmeans according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the heel holding means of FIG.

FIG. 3 represents a section taken along the line III- III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section similar to that of FIG. 3 through a modified heelholding means according to the invention.

FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates a side view of a mechanical boottipholding means according to the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the boot tip holding means of FIG. 5. i

The ski safety binding according to the present invention ischaracterized primarily in that the magnetic holding means is equippedwith a tongue which extends below the sole of the ski boot and whichtogether with an angle member forms a U-shaped clamp, said angle memberextending over a portion of the heel of the ski boot. In this way theoccurrence of tilting moments is prevented.

In order to make sure that the holding means can be adjusted for anysize of a ski boot, the angle member engaging the heel is adjustablerelative to the tongue.

According to a further feature of the invention, the tongue is arrangedin a recess provided in the base plate of the magnetic holding meanswhereby a lateral slipping of the ski boot is prevented.

The U-shaped clamp formed by the tongue and the In order to assure thatthe above referred to force can always act only perpendicularly so thatonly the vertical component of the force will become effective, anelastic disc is arranged below the head of the bolt, said disc acting inthe manner of a ball joint. Furthermore, the elastic disc is adapted toabsorb shocks. The elastic disc will prevent the soft iron plate fromdetaching itself from the magnet in response to the occurrence of short,

shock-like forces which act in a direction counter to the holding forceof the magnet.

, According to a further development of the invention, the bolt ishollow and has its upper portion provided with an inner thread receivinga screw while below said screw there is provided a pressure: springwhich through the intervention ofa pin exerts a pressure upon the magnetwhich pressure is directed counter to the direction of the magneticforce. In this way, the effective magnetic force may be varied. Thestronger the pressure exerted by-the pressure spring, the weaker willbecome the effective magnetic holding force. By exchanging the pressurespring, the holding force may be selected precisely in conformity withthe holding force necessary for the respective skier.

The magnetic holding force may also be controlled by exchanging the softiron plate. When purchasing the ski safety binding according to theinvention, the salesman will determine the thickness of the soft ironplate in conformity with the requirements of the respective buyer sothat accidents due to an incorrect adjustment ofthe release force can nolonger occur. In order to keep the structural height constant, thethinner soft iron plates are supplemented by a plate of non-magnetizablematerial the thickness of which is so selected that the space betweenthe soft iron plateand the elastic intermediatelayer iscompletelyfilled.

The clamping member of the magnetic holding means is provided with alongitudinal bore for the passage of a bolt which establishes theconnection between the U-shaped clamp formed by the tongue and the anglemember on one hand and the magnet or soft iron plate on the other hand.In this way a certain displacement of the clamping member relative tothe magnet or soft iron plate is possible. Such displacement may occurwhen skiing through a dip in the terrain inasmuch as the ski will bendin such circumstances.

According to a further development of the invention, an elastic abutmentmember is inserted into the base plate. The end of the tongue restsagainst said abutment member so that a shortening of the distancebetween the magnet and the mechanical holding means when skiing througha dip will be compensated for.

In order to close off the magnetic system with regard to the outside .ina dust-free manner, the magnet and the soft iron plate are surrounded byan elastic sleeve which expediently has the shape of a bellows. Whenlifting the soft iron plate off the magnet, the soft iron plate and thestructural elements which are connected thereto and pertain to themagnetic holding means are connected by means of said bellows to thebase plate so that additional devices, such as a catching line or thelike, will'not be necessary.

For connection to the ski, the base plate is provided with a pluralityof oblong openings the longitudinal axis of which extends in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the ski. By a simple displacementof the base plate, the holding means can be adjusted for any desiredshow or boot size.

In order to prevent an accidental displacement of the base plate, thelatter is laterally of the oblong openings at its top side provided withgrooves which in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the ski arelocated one behind the other and which are engaged by the teeth of awasher.

In order to avoid to have to open the magnetic holding means each timewhen it is intended to detach the ski boot from the ski, the holdingmeans for the tip of the shoe is provided with a jaw which by means of ahorizontal shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the shoe ispivotally arranged on a support which by means of screws is connected tothe ski and which is adapted to be locked in its lowermost position bymeans of a pin. In this way the bellows of the magnetic holding means isprotected so that it has a nearly unlimited life.

One end of the pin is screwed into the jaw while its other end engages abore ofa lever pivotally connected to the support while the lever restsagainst an elastic block inserted into the support. In response to theexertion of a pressure upon the lever, the lever will yield while theelastic block is compressed so that the pin is freed. Expediently, thelever is within the region of a recess in the jaw provided with adepression for insertion of a ski stick so that the skier can loosen theski binding while standing up.

In order to allow the skier while standing up also to close the jaw, thetop side of the jaw is provided with a depression for insertion of a skistick.

That surface of the jaw which faces toward the ski boot is inclined sothat an adjustment of the jaw in conformity with the thickness of thesole of the respective ski boot is not necessary. In order to furnish asafe hold for the ski boot, the surface facing the boot is roughened,for instance, knurled.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the holding means for the heelportion according to FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a magnet l which rests onan elastic support 2 and by means of a base plate 3 is connected to theski board, and furthermore comprises a soft iron plate 5 which throughthe intervention of an elastic intermediate layer 6 is connected to aclamping member 7 having fixedly connected thereto a tongue 8 while anangle member 9 is adjustably connected to said clamping member 7. Thetongue 8 and the angle member 9 form a U-shaped clamp which may beadapted to the thickness of the heel of a ski boot. Tongue 8 is arrangedin a recess 10 of the base plate 3. The connection between the soft ironplate 5 and the clamping member 7 is effected by a bolt 11 which has itslower end provided with a groove for a spring ring 12. Bolt 11 is soarranged that its axis 13 is in alignment with the axis 14 of themagnet 1. An elastic disc 15 is arranged below the head of bolt 11. Thehollow bolt 11 has its upper portion provided with an inner thread intowhich is screwed a screw 16. Below screw 16 there is provided a pressurespring 17 which through the intervention of a pin 18 exerts a pressureon the magnet l which pressure is directed counter to the adheringforce. The pressure spring 17 is exchangeable. An oblong hole 24 isprovided in the clamping member 7 for passing the bolt 11 therethrough.Inserted into the base plate 3 is an elastic abutment member 25 againstwhich rests the end of tongue 8.

Magnet 1 and soft iron plate 5 are surrounged by an elastic sleeve 19which forms a bellows. The lower end of sleeve 19 is clamped between themagnet l and a collar 20 of base plate 3, whereas the upper end ofsleeve 19 is clamped between the soft iron plate 5 and the elasticintermediate layer 6. However, also the upper end of sleeve 19 itselfmay form an elastic intermediate layer 6.

The base plate 3 is provided with oblong holes 21. Laterally of saidholes 21, the base plate 3 is provided with grooves 22 engaged by teethof washers 23.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate possible cross-sectional shapes of tongue 8.However, also other cross-sectional shapes are feasible. In order toprevent a lateral displacement of tongue 8, a ball, a pin or the likemay be inserted in the ski board 4, and tongue 8 may be provided with abore for receiving that portion of the ball, pin or the like whichprotrudes from the ski board 4.

According to the binding or holding means illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6for the tip of the ski boot, a jaw 26 is by means of a bolt 27 arrangedon a support 29 which is fastened to the ski board 4 by means of screws28 so that the jaw 26 can be folded into the dot-dash line position(FIG. 5). The locking of the jaw 26 in its lower position is effected bya pin 30 which has one end screwed into the jaw 26 and has its other endengaging a bore of a lever 31 which is pivotally connectable to thesupport 29.

A nut 32 screwed onto the pin 30 prevents the pin 30 from beingaccidentally loosened. An elastic block 33 is inserted into the support29. Against the said block rests a lever 31 which, however, may also beconnected to the block 33, for instance, by being cemented thereto.Within the range ofa recess 34 provided in the jaw 26, lever 31 isprovided with a depression 35. A ski stick may be inserted by the skierinto the said depression 35 so that the lever 31 can be presseddownwardly and the pin 30 is freed while the jaw 26 can be folded intothe dot-dash line position. Jaw 26 has its upper side likewise providedwith a depression 36 which serves for closing the jaw 26 by means of theski stick. That surface 37 ofjaw 26 which faces toward the ski boot isinclined. The surface 37 is furthermore roughened, for instance,knurled.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular showing in the drawings but alsocomprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. For use in connection with a ski board, a holding device for holdingthe tip ofa ski boot, which includes: supporting means detachablyconnected to a ski board, pivot means supported by said supportingmeans, jaw means pivotally connected to said supporting means by saidpivot means extending in horizontal direction perpendicular to the skiboot and selectively pivotable into and out of its ski boot clampingposition relative to said supporting means, pin means for selectivelylocking said jaw means in its ski boot clamping position, one endportion of said pin means threadedly engaging said jaw means, levervmeans pivotally connected to said supporting means and provided withrecess means adapted to be engaged by the other end portion of said pinmeans, and elastic block means forming part of said supporting means andyieldably and elastically supporting said lever means which yields whilesaid elastic block means is compressed so that said pin means is freed.

pression for insertion of a ski stick.

4. A holding device according to claim 1, in which face of said jawmeans which is remote from said pivot means is inclined.

5. A holding device according to claim 4, in which said inclined face isroughened.

1. For use in connection with a ski board, a holding device for holdingthe tip of a ski boot, which includes: supporting means detachablyconnected to a ski board, pivot means supported by said supportingmeans, jaw means pivotally connected to said supporting means by saidpivot means extending in horizontal direction perpendicular to the skiboot and selectively pivotable into and out of its ski boot clampingposition relative to said supporting means, pin means for selectivelylocking said jaw means in its ski boot clamping position, one endportion of said pin means threadedly engaging said jaw means, levermeans pivotally connected to said supporting means and provided withrecess means adapted to be engaged by the other end portion of said pinmeans, and elastic block means forming part of said supporting means andyieldably and elastically supporting said lever means which yields whilesaid elastic block means is compressed so that said pin means is freed.2. A holding device according to claim 1, in which said jaw meansadjacent said lever means is provided with a recess, and in whichadjacent said last mentioned recess said lever means has a depressionadapted to receive the lower end of a ski stick.
 3. A holding deviceaccording to claim 1, in which the top surface of said jaw means isprovided with a depression for insertion of a ski stick.
 4. A holdingdevice according to claim 1, in which face of said jaw means which isremote from said pivot means is inclined.
 5. A holding device accordingto claim 4, in which said inclined face is roughened.